Furusato Choice suspends service over suspected unauthorized access
In short
Trustbank (トラストバンク), operator of the hometown-tax donation site Furusato Choice (ふるさとチョイス), said on 19 October that it had suspended the service after detecting a suspected unauthorized access. The company is investigating whether personal information leaked and how far the problem extends. Sankei reported that the site was still unavailable at 09:30 on 20 October.
Read the full story 2 min read
Trustbank (トラストバンク), which operates the hometown-tax portal Furusato Choice (ふるさとチョイス), announced on 19 October that it had temporarily suspended the service after detecting an event suspected to be unauthorized access. Sankei gave the company's address as Minato ward, Tokyo. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 11 ]
According to Trustbank, as reported by Kyodo and TBS, the suspected access was found in the morning of 19 October while the company was inspecting its servers. The service was stopped from about 15:50 that day. Nikkei, citing the company, reported that the abnormality was detected in the morning and that Furusato Choice's related services were stopped at about 15:50. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
In a notice on its site, quoted by Sankei and Impress Watch, the company said it had suspended the service with the top priority of preventing damage from spreading and ensuring safety. It said a specialist team was confirming the facts and the scope of the impact, and that it would give further notice based on the investigation results. The company apologised for the trouble and concern caused to users. [ 3 , 11 ]
Whether personal information was leaked is under investigation, according to Kyodo, Nikkei and TBS. Impress Watch said the specifics of the access, its scope and any leak had not been disclosed, and that no resumption date had been given. Nikkei, citing a company spokesperson, reported that the effect on shipments of gifts already ordered was not known and that the resumption date was undecided. TBS reported that the company was working on investigation and response with the aim of resuming service early. [ 3 , 4 , 6 , 9 ]
Yahoo! News Japan noted that, as of 16:30 on 19 October, visitors accessing Furusato Choice were shown a screen, which it illustrated with an image. Sankei reported that at 09:30 on 20 October the service was still unavailable. [ 8 , 11 ]
ITmedia and Yahoo! News Japan described Furusato Choice as one of Japan's largest hometown-tax sites, with contracts with more than 1,700 municipalities as of October 2024 and more than 980,000 items listed as of May 2026. They said taxpayers use the site to look for return gifts and to complete hometown-tax procedures online. [ 1 , 8 ]
Why it matters
Outlets describe Furusato Choice as a major hometown-tax site with contracts with more than 1,700 municipalities as of October 2024. Nikkei reported that the company does not yet know the effect on shipments of gifts already ordered.
Key facts
- Trustbank said on 19 October that it had detected an event suspected to be unauthorized access to Furusato Choice and had temporarily suspended the service. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- The company said it detected the suspected access in the morning of 19 October while inspecting its servers, and stopped the service from about 15:50. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- A specialist team is checking the facts and the scope of the impact; whether personal information leaked is under investigation. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- The company said the suspension was to prevent the damage from spreading and to ensure safety, and it apologised to users. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- No date has been given for resuming the service. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Trustbank said it will announce next steps based on the investigation results. [ 3 , 4 , 8 , 11 ]
- Sankei reported that the site was still unavailable at 09:30 on 20 October. [ 11 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trustbank, which operates Furusato Choice, announced on 19 October that it had temporarily suspended the service over a suspected unauthorized access. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 11 ]
- The company said a specialist team is investigating the facts and the scope of the impact, and that it will announce further steps after the investigation. [ 3 , 4 , 8 , 11 ]
- Whether personal information was leaked is still being investigated. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
Still unclear
- Whether personal information was leaked Outlets say this is still under investigation.
- The nature and scope of the unauthorized access Impress Watch said that specifics of the access and its scope have not been disclosed.
- When the service will resume Nikkei said the resumption date is undecided and Impress Watch said none has been announced; TBS said the company is aiming for an early resumption.
- Effect on shipments of gifts already ordered Nikkei, citing a company spokesperson, said the effect on shipments is not yet known.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 19 October, Trustbank stopped Furusato Choice and related services, having detected a suspected unauthorized access earlier that morning. [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 ]
- On 19 October, visitors accessing the site were shown a screen, according to Yahoo! News Japan. [ 8 ]
- Kyodo's report on the suspension, published on 19 October, said the company was investigating whether personal information leaked. [ 6 ]
- On 20 October, Sankei reported that the site was still unavailable. [ 11 ]